Dream Green Kitchens

Everyone with a computer does this these days, but as a recent college grad still living at home with my parents one of my favorite things to do is dream about my future apartment. Now, I know that I will be inevitably disappointed because I'm sure my first "grown-up" apartment is going to be about the size of a closet, but a girl can dream! Here are some of my favorite kitchens (from Design*Sponge and Apartment Therapy) and some of my favorite green kitchen products!

I'm increasingly drawn to monochromatic kitchens that are clean and relatively clutter-free.  I love the open shelving, or even floating shelves that show the stacks of dishes. I also love deep farmhouse sinks, like the one in Julia Child's Paris kitchen in Julie & Julia. I also love farmhouse tables, and butcher block countertops (which are wonderfully cheap, but apparently very difficult to maintain [according to my mumsy, they stain and mark up very easily, but I don't care, they're lovely])


That being said, I make exceptions to the monochromatic rule when I see things like chalkboard walls and amazing, graphic tile work that's bold and simplistic.

 

And, alright, this isn't a full kitchen, but I'm in love (LOVE!) with this tea shelf. Everything is together, it's clean and functional (my favorite!)

Also, I love the storage for all these spices. I love how they look stacked up together, and how neat and organized it is. As long as you can identify all of the different spices. 

As for some green kitchen things, here are a few things I'm in love with.

-My Bodum french press

from here

French Presses are great for a variety of reasons. First, they make a damn fine cuppa joe. You can use any sort of coffee you want, as long as it's coarse ground (Starbucks will grind your beans for free when you purchase a bag of your favorite blend. Mine is the organic Yukon blend. It's bold, nutty, and just plain delicious). Beyond it being tasty and versatile, it steeps the coffee like you steep tea. You boil the water on the stove (or in an electric water boiler) so you use a lot less electricity than regular coffee makers that have a hot plate and must boil the water itself and all that jazz. One of the downsides is that the coffee cools quickly, but I'm planning to knit my press a cozy to combat that. Also, it doesn't use filters, which eliminates the need for even recycled, unbleached filters!

My French Press is metal, but Starbucks/Bodum (and other companies) now offer presses made from recycled plastic!

-CredoBags

I don't have any CredoBags, but I want them SO badly.  They feature reusable bags of all sorts: produce bags, bulk bags, everyday shopping bags, lunch bags . . . you name it. They offer 100% cotton, muslin, and 100% organic cotton fibers, and are really just incredible. They aren't horribly expensive and seem like they would last for a long time.

-Reading is Sexy coffee mug

  I love this mug. I first saw it in a picture on We Heart It, and spent forever hunting it down.  It's made from 100% biodegradable corn plastic. I've asked for it for Christmas, and I hope (oh, how I hope!) it shall be mine.












Of course there are all sorts of green kitchen products. Wooden spoons, cast iron skillets, anything from William-Sonoma (well, not anything, but it's an amazing place where dreams come true). 

What are your favorite green kitchen appliances? And what's your dream kitchen?